Camp Kesem OSU in the News

BELLEFONTAINE, Ohio — When Jillian Middleton caught her first glimpse of summer camp, she knew she didn’t want to stay.

It was pouring down rain when she arrived, and the place looked all gloomy and lonely. Besides, Jillian is only 8 (well, 8 and a half, if you ask her) and she’d never been to an overnight camp before. She remained unconvinced that this six-day adventure was a good idea.

Oh, and she worried about missing her mom too much.

Though she’s doing well now, Jillian’s mom has battled cancer. And that means the little girl from Cincinnati has had to grow up pretty fast, with all sorts of worries and responsibilities. Here at Camp Kesem, Jillian can leave all those things behind. She picked a brand new name — she is known to others only as Super Elephant, which she picked because “elephants are chubby and cute and because I’m super” — and can become anything she wants to be. At Camp Kesem, she just gets to be a little girl at summer camp, one surrounded by laughter and love and joy.

About Kesem

Kesem is a nationwide community, driven by passionate college student leaders, that supports children through and beyond their parent’s cancer. By offering innovative, fun-­filled programs that foster a lasting community, we aim to ensure that every child impacted by a parent’s cancer is never alone.